I had to work yesterday when Vancouver got hit with the annual ONE Day of snow. I enviously watched my Facebook feed of family and friends playing in their backyards building snowmen and plopping into the snow to make snow angels.

As usual today the temperature is warmer and the snow is slushy. On the way to give Auntie Robin her gift Little A picked up some snow and threw a snowball at me and started laughing her little head off. OH GAME ON! I picked up a bit of snow – hey good packing snow.

We were going to make a snowman, not just any snowman – a rainbow snowman. We built a snowman, went hunting for rocks and branches, grabbed a carrot and some cranberries – for the nose and eyes of course.

Then I grabbed her paint and it was time to make this snowman the coolest dude on the block. Little A was so engrossed in painting her snowman. She made buttons, pants, painted a smile, added hair and cheeks.

I love the firelog channel. I don’t have a fireplace currently but grew up with fireplaces in most of my homes and enjoying bonfires. My mom and I would alternate standing in front of our fireplace warming ourselves or getting so hot we couldn’t stand to be in front of the crackling fire any longer.

I like the firelog channel so much a good friend bought me a DVD of the fire log and I love a quiet evening alone reading with the firelog crackling in the background. But I mainly obsess over the firelog when it is the holiday season and I can flip to the channel for an hour here or there.

Soon that channel will be gone. I am sad. The firelog represents near zero schedules, relaxed days, family time, I am not ready for that to end, I am not ready to get into the swing of 2013.

Nothing beats a warm fire crackling

I want more holiday time.

I want casual fun days with my hubby and Little A.

I want slow mornings.

I want to wake after 8 am and the first noise to hear to be that of my daughter calling my name, not the annoying chime of the alarm clock.

I want to sing christmas carols and listen to holiday stations.

I want mid day walks with our dog collecting chestnuts, twigs, rock and other things to give to the squirrels.

I want to hang out with my extended family, laughing and eating.

I want to share late night conversations with my husband and some great wine.

That is what the firelog means to me. It makes me physically warmer and keeps me connected to the happiness of the holidays. I will flip to the firedog a few more times throughout January to help me ease back into the full swing of the new year.

PHEW I made it. Finished filling Little A’s special Advent Calendar just in time.

December 1 came up so quickly this year. Times certainly does NOT stand still when you have a toddler.

My husband and I are now quietly reading while Little A sleeps, but I’m bursting inside wanting her to wake up and see the Advent Calendar. It looks like the Advent and the Chair are ready to go too.

Advent and Chair – ready for Little A

Isn’t it beautiful. My sister-in-law and her husband made it for Little A last year. I was astonished when they brought it out and presented to her. I was beyond words thinking about all the time, and energy that would have gone into making this advent calendar. Hand crafted and every box filled with homemade, personal gifts from my wonderful in-laws. Little A’s cousins helped by making finger puppets and writing stories and other gifts. Beyond thoughtful! Aurora is so lucky to be loved by my extended family. I was so very touched by this gift.

Auntie showing Little A how to look for goodies in the Advent Calendar

Little A with her cousin playing match 2 – pair of cards each a photo of family members

Little A figuring out how to open her advent gift

Little A opening her animal flash cards

Princess Butterfly gets to open finger puppets (notice the hockey in the background. sigh)

Quietly colouring in her handy dandy notebook after opening box number 18

I could go on and on because last year I was obsessed with taking a photo every day when Little A opened them. This year I will still take pictures but I want to enjoy the moments not behind the lens but beside her. With Christmases to come I hope to make better and better choices with the items I put in the advent Calendar -the inaugural Advent Calendar bar was set very high. While this year my gifts are all store bought, for me the point was that I did it, I followed thru and continued the tradition, that was important to me.

tired of trying to find what food to make your toddler? The bigger question, will they eat it? This is a blog about food I make for Alice, and the successes and failures of what's on the menu at our house.